The Outsiders: The New Guy (PonyboyMALE OC)
by carryjames48
Summary: Neil Campbell witnesses Johnny kill one of the Socs and hides in the abandoned church in fear of the murderer returning. When Ponyboy and Johnny show up to the same hideout, Neil meets the attacker he was running away from and begins to develop friendships with the boys who changed his life. (Ponyboy/MALE OC)
1. Chapter 1

**HEY GUYS! I watched The Outsiders yesterday and it is such a good movie! I was persuaded by my friend to write this fanfiction so I did. Also, I know the chapters are long but that's only because I don't want to lose interest in my story by writing small chapters so please don't give up on reviewing or reading just because of the length of the chapter. HOPE YOU LIKE IT ELEANOR!**

"_When I left that movie theatre, I only had two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…"_

Once they were at the park, they had wish they had never came. The wind was blasting against Johnny and Ponyboy's face, completely getting rid of the warmth supplied by the houses they had left. Ponyboy was wearing a singlet and Johnny was wearing a worn out denim jacket. Their clothing didn't keep them warm at all. Sitting up high on the monkey bars, getting even more wind on his face, didn't really help either.  
Just then, a car pulled up in the park. It was a mustang. IT WAS THE SOCS! Out they came, looking like snobs which they really were.  
"Well, well, well, lookie what we have here. One of those Greaser who tried to pick up our girls at the drive-in," said one guy deliriously.  
The words came out as a slur. Johnny then noticed a small drink pite in Bob's hand.  
"He's drunk," Johnny whispered to Ponyboy. Ponyboy then jumped off the monkey bars, causing Johnny to follow. They faced their enemies, trying to be brave.  
"You know what a greaser is? White trash with greasy hair," Bob sneered at them.  
"You know what a Soc is? White trash with mustangs and mandras," Ponyboy said. He then spat on him.  
"You need a bath kid. Dave, give him a bath!"  
Johnny and Ponyboy instinctively knew to turn around and run. Despite being fast for both of thems, they didn't walk a few metres before they were grabbed by their arms. Johnny fell to the ground, feeling blurry as his head collided with the concrete. The gang forgot about him and picked up Ponyboy by his arms, heading towards the fountain.  
It was only Neil's second day in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1965 summer holidays. Neil Campbell was 14 years old when he had to go to Tulsa for his Dads work. He hated it. He had lived here when he was seven and left to Los Angeles when he was 10 and now he realised how bad of a town it was. His mum, brother and sister got to stay in luxury at the film capital of the world while he had to be stuck in a bogan city for three months. He had decided to go for a stroll at five o'clock and he turned down a road and didn't know how to come back. It was 11pm and he still wasn't home. He had called to his Dad to explain, only to find he was too busy for work.  
He was walking behind many trees lined in a row that engorged a park next to a fountain. He then heard many sounds.  
The sound of a water coming out of a fountain…  
The sound of something coughing and gasping…  
The sound of teenagers cheering on their friends…  
The sound of someone stepping on the ground…  
Neil looked through the trees and saw the site. The Socs were submerging Ponyboy in the water. Dunking him in the water for five seconds then giving him air for two. They were cheering on as Ponyboy coughed and gasped, water splashing everywhere.  
Just then, he noticed Johnny from the ground. He was walking closer to the fountain, to the boys, doing it slowly, like the _Psycho _mother stalking her victims. Neil then noticed…A POCKET KNIFE IN HIS HAND! Neil put his hand over his mouth in shock. HE WAS GOING TO KILL THAT BOY!  
And in a split second, Johnny came up behind David and stabbed him in the back. David screamed and let go of Ponyboy, who fell to the ground. He was unconscious. Dave turned around and couldn't fight back as Johnny continued stabbing him over and over in the stomach, his abdomen, stomach, pelvis, forehead. Neil was sick! It was like a movie!  
All his friends were going to fight Johnny back but when they saw Johnny continue to stab David over and over again in anger, they stepped back and made a run for their car. Johnny finally withdrew the knife, spinning around. He turned to the trees…Neil made eye-contact with Johnny. He looked at him with the bloody knife. Neither of them moved.  
Reality set in that Neil was looking at the eyes of a murderer and sprinted off. Johnny turned around and pulled Ponyboy to the ground. Ponyboy was unconscious, saturated and Johnny couldn't be bothered waking him up so he waited for Ponyboy to wake himself up.

Neil was sprinting off. He was a witness to a murder! A MURDER! He couldn't believe it. This boy was evil. He had seen Neil. Oh no! HE HAD SEEN HIM! Neil couldn't believe it. If he recognized him, he would end up like the boy he just killed.  
Neil slowed down. He looked at the street. Bell Street. THAT WAS THE STREET OF HIS DADS HOUSE! YES! HE WAS HOME! Neil began walking down the street as he mulled things over.  
Neil walked past the gas station while setting off home. He saw a brochure that read-WINDRIXVILLE FARMING AREA. Windrixville! Neil used to go to Church over there. Now that church is abandoned. Hey wait! THE CHURCH! Neil knew he had to run so that this murderer wouldn't come after him. He had to hide in this church…for four days. Just four days and he would return.  
Neil got home and opened the door.  
"HELLO?"  
He walked into the house. Sure enough, his Dad was lying on the couch after a hards day work. Neil couldn't blame him.  
Neil walked into his room and sighed. Okay, you are doing this! He grabbed his backpack and opened his wardrobe. He only packed some of his clothes. Despite being just a backpack, it put a lot of accessories in. He packed his clothes, toothbrushes, movies, gel, deodorant. He looked at the kitchen knife…should he bring it? Just in case, self-protection. He put in the backpack. He then grabbed his packed backpack and sleeping bag. He went out onto the table and started writing a note.

"_Hey Dad,  
Sorry I was late, I got lost. I'm going over to Grandad's house tomorrow and the night after I'll be going to Dylan's house for a sleepover. Then the next day I'll being going to the drag races and then staying the night at Grandad's house. I'll be back in four days. You probably won't see me during the afternoon cause I'll be wondering around the town. CYA SOON!"_

His father was so going to buy that. Then, at the dead of night, 12am, Neil came outside and got his bike up. Putting on his helmet, his backpack on his back and his sleeping bag on his arm, Neil rode out of the house…to safety.

Ponyboy woke up. He was dizzy. All he remembered was water…and blood. Blood is thicker than water. He was saturated in water and there was blood next to him. Ponyboy's eyes wondered towards the source of blood. Johnny was shaking. He had a bloodied pocket knife next to Dave. Blood was coming from Dave from all directions…he was dead.  
"I killed him," Johnny muttered, "I killed that boy. I killed him." Ponyboy was in such a state of shock to react to his friend. Not shocked by the body but by his attack. Shocked that he couldn't remember.  
"I think I'm gonna be sick."  
"Go ahead, man. I won't look at you," I said. I needed to comfort him somehow. I found out pretty suddenly but I realise this is hard for my friends. "I won't look."  
I lean in closer when I hear Johnny crying, convincing me to touch his shoulder. "Are you all right?" I looked at Dave. The dead boy was lying on his stomach. He had stab marks in his back but most of the blood was coming from his stomach and head.  
"You really did kill him?" I asked, more of a question than a pointing out.  
Johnny struggled with his reply. I couldn't blame him. "I had to... they were drowning you. They might have killed you. They were gonna beat me up."  
Johnny begins to whimper so I bring him into a hug. "What happened to the other guys?" I asked.  
"They all ran. They all ran off when I stabbed him." He has trouble saying "stabbed him."

Johnny knocked on the pub door. The pub where Dallas worked and slept. When he knocked, an old man opened the door. You got the impression this man really didn't like kids.  
"What do you boys want?" he asked impatiently.  
"We gotta see Dallas," Johnny said, knowing the old man was judging the crap out of him right now.  
"He's busy," the man said. Johnny and Ponynoy interpreted this as "Fuck off, this place isn't for kids."  
"Tell him it's Ponyboy and Johnny, man," "anybody said.  
"He'll come," Johnny added, trying his hardest to convince this old man. The old man groaned, another way of saying "How about NO!"  
"Come on," Ponyboy said. His cool voice and smile was pretty persuasive.  
The old man groaned, this time saying "Fine I'll do it." He closes the door as Johnny and Ponynoy waited. They looked out the window and saw a shirtless Dallas coming though the bright lights of the hotel.  
The door swung open, revealing Dallas and his stomach muscles. "What do you guys want?"  
"Johnny killed a Soc," I blurted out. I said it fast because I knew Dallas was impatient and needed quick persuasion.  
"What?" Dallas asked, clearly stunned by the sudden words. "All right, good for you. Let's go."  
"We thought you could get us out... if anyone could," Ponyboy pleaded.  
"I'm sorry to get you away from this party...but I don't know what to do," Johnny pleaded.  
"It's fine. I was just trying to get some sleep," Dallas said, "I got in a fight with Shepard tonight. Get in, I'll see what I can do."  
Moments later, Johnny and Ponyboy were in Dallas' bedroom. It was a tiny hotel room but Dallas was no stranger to conditions that were anything but luxurious.  
"Are you wet?" Dallas asked Johnny.  
"I'm okay," the young boy said.  
"You'll die of pneumonia before the cops ever get you," Dallas said. He turned to Neil.  
"Hey, stupid, take your sweatshirt off. You'll freeze to death." He then handed Ponyboy a buttoned shirt with sketches on it. It was oversized and extremely warm.  
"I wish I had a weed now," Dallas said to himself. He then grabbed some money. "Here's $25. I'm not anxious to tell your brother and get my head kicked in."  
"Then don't," Ponyboy added in. He then sat next to Johnny and Ponyboy, ready to explain the plan.  
"Take the train to Windrixville. There's an abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. There's a pump in the back, so you don't have to worry about water. There is a store a few hundred metres from the church so get a weeks supply of food. Then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. Am I clear?" Ponyboy and Johnny nod. "I'll be there when everything is cool."  
He then noticed the boys worried faces. They were freaked out. "Relax. lt'll work out." Ponyboy and Johnny sighed, nodding their heads. It could work out. And if it didn't, it was better than staying in this town.

Neil was riding his bike through the forest. He couldn't believe he was doing this. IT WAS CRAZY! Maybe the murderer might not find him. Maybe he's already been caught. Maybe all this "maybe" shit made him unsure but he had to be safe.  
Neil was riding in a shortcut of the forest. If you took the shortcut on a bike, it would take the same amount of time as a train going to the long way. Neil couldn't believe this. It was freezing. It was 2:14 in the morning. He was brushing past forests in the darkness that could be filled with god knows what. The light torch attached to his helmet only illuminated a few metres in front of him. He had left his town, lied to my Dad and Grandad and have no more safety anymore.  
Neil swerved into a path an hour and a half later. His legs were aching, his feet had blisters, his face was freezing but he knew he was close to the church…close to safety. He rode about a kilometre when he saw the church, illuminated against the backdrop of the sky. Neil smiled. He was there!  
He rode down the hill, walking his bike. The door was closed so he found a window frame with pieces of wood nailed from outside. Neil, with all his might and strength, picked up his bike…and threw it into the pieces of wood. The pieces of wood were smashed and Neil had to smash them a bit more to allow space to walk through the frame and into the house.  
He brought the bike into the house and set it. Then, he found a clean part of the house and set out his sleeping bag. He fell onto the bag and surveyed the church. It was completely dark. Dust and debris flooded the floor. Pieces of broken and wooden chairs were the only furniture. It was just dust…abandoned.  
Hours of riding, aching, freezing, planning, thinking, hating and travelling finally made Neil fall into a deep slumber.

**HOW DID YOU LIKE IT? These three boys will meet somehow!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter took me forever cause I'm doing long chapters remember. PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!  
Chapter 2**

DAY ONE

It was now 11:30am. Paul and Johnny had been off the train for about half an hour and after getting directions, they were walking down the hill and spotted the church. Standing there, old and black. Abandoned and decrepit. It was a great place to hide…to escape.  
"THE CHURCH!" Ponyboy cried out. They were there!  
They ran down the hill and went to the door. It was locked. The two boys shook the door in desperation. From inside, Neil woke up to the sounds of the door being pulled by Ponyboy. With all the stuff that had happened, he was extremely cautious at these sounds and scurried through his backpack. He then pulled out a knife…a kitchen knife.  
He got up and heard the boys banging on the wood on the window frame. He could hear their footsteps coming closer to the window frame that didn't have wood after Neil busted them. Neil didn't know who these intruders were but given the certain circumstances, he was prepared for any danger.  
Neil waited by the frame, knife ready…when the intruders revealed themselves!  
Ponyboy and Johnny screamed as they saw Neil with the knife. Neil put the knife down when he saw the attackers. They were just boys. However, something familiar was about Johnny…that night.  
"Uh…hi," Neil said after an awkward silence.  
Ponyboy thought of something to reply with. "We're sorry, we didn't know you were in here," Ponyboy apologized.  
"Oh no, worries um…do you want to come inside?" Neil said, awkwardly. He liked the boy in front of him but felt insecure around him.  
"Sure." Ponyboy and Johnny went in through the frame. Ponyboy held out his hand.  
"I'm Ponyboy, Ponboy Curtis." Neil took his hand. "Neil, Neil Campbell. I like your name. It's super cool." Neil faced the familiar boy.  
"I'm Johnny." Johnny smiled yet Neil felt weary about this guy. He took the hand anyway and pretended to be happy.  
Neil moved back to the sleeping bag. "I'm confused. Can you fill me in on what you're doing here?"  
"You tell us what you're doing here," Ponyboy said, sitting down on the huge sleeping bag with Johnny.  
"I asked you first."  
"I won't tell you unless you say first," Ponyboy said with a grin and Neil smiled.  
"Well, I was witness to a crime…you know, like a murder." Ponyboy and John looked at each other. Was it….  
"So I left my Tulsa just to be safe," he said. Ponyboy and Johnny looked at each with more worry. It definitely was! Neil noticed.  
"Something wrong?"  
Ponyboy and Johnny looked down. Ponyboy had to explain. "Tell me about the murder."  
"Well I was just walking down a park at night when I saw some guys dunking some kid in a fountain so his friend stabbed the guy over and over again with a pocket knife. All his friends fled and then the guy looked at me and I ran like crazy."  
Ponyboy and Johnny's worry increased. "What the fuck is wrong with you two?"  
Ponyboy sighed. "Neil, don't freak out. This is going to come as a bit of a shock to you but…" Neil began getting worried, confused. "…Johnny was the one who killed that guy."  
Neil jumped up, the knife in hand. Ponyboy and Johnny got up as Neil began pacing backwards, scared now. He was facing the murderer! This is what he was running away from!  
"Neil, don't freak out! You don't understand! They were drowning me so Johnny tried saving me but he got a bit…carried away."  
"Just a bit!" Neil retorted.  
"Why are you scared then?" Johnny said, saying the first thing since he greeted himself to Neil.  
"Because… don't you want to kill me?" Neil said, now scared out of his wits that the worse has happened.  
"No! You're a cool guy. I don't want to kill you!" Johnny said, not trying to sound like he was sucking up  
"What made you think he wanted to?" Ponyboy asked, just as confused as Johnny.  
"Because I know and I could tell ANYONE and put you in jail!" Neil cried. This is what got him here in the first place.  
"Neil, I'm not a murderer!" Johnny said and his youthfulness was very persuasive. Neil surveyed the two boys before him. He wasn't completely convinced. He was pacing back a bit. Ponyboy and Johnny's eyes were trying to convince Neil and when things couldn't get worse…  
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH…"  
Neil tripped over a brick and fell on his back. The knife fell out of his grip and flung into the air. As in slow motion, Ponyboy noticed that if Neil didn't move… the knife would come down on him. Ponyboy jumped over to where Neil was and rolled him over. The knife came down on the air and stabbed the wood where Neil was.  
Ponyboy was on top of Neil. The two were looking at each other. Both had good breathes. Neil surveyed the boys face before him in a few seconds-Ponyboy was actually quite attractive. His hair was so slick, his skin was practically flawless, his eyebrows were done so well, his lips were so coloured and he was quite muscly. Neil wasn't the only one surveying the person before himself…  
Ponyboy was looking at Neil. He had a cool hairstyle, a cute nose and dark eyes that charmed him. His smile was small yet sweet and his cheeks were flawless in a dark tan way but with no foundation. He had just as much muscle as Ponyboy and it was quite attractive.  
Ponyboy and Neil realised the position they were in and that Johnny was watching. Ponyboy got off of the guy that he had saved. Neil realised the knife. He turned back to Ponyboy and gave him a "thanks for saving my life" smile. Neil turned back to the knife and then to Johnny. Reality set in and…  
Neil grabbed the knife and stood up. It was de je vu when he began pacing back, not trusting Johnny and Ponyboy who was getting up.  
"Neil, please. We're not going to hurt you." Neil looked at them and gave in, dropping the knife and smiling. He had made friends.

Neil had been unpacking his bag. Johnny had been awake a few minutes, reading a magazine. He and Ponyboy had been exhausted for sleeping for only four hours. Just then Ponyboy got up and looked at Neil.  
He watched Neil unpack his clothes. He just watched for a few moments, smiling. He really liked Neil. Neil noticed Ponyboy and smiled.  
"What?"  
"You've got a good taste in clothes," Ponyboy said, "Better than the shit we wear."  
"Are you saying as a…"  
"As a what?"  
"As another way to say, 'you're gay'" Neil said, sadly.  
"Nah, man, what makes you think that?" Ponyboy said. He was a little taken aback. Why would he think that?  
"It's just…that's what so many people think…I mean, I don't have a problem with…people being gay or even being _gay._ It's just when people use the word gay as an insult is when I find it offensive.  
"Well if I meet any of those guys, I'll get me, Johnny and my brothers to beat 'em all up."  
Neil and Johnny laughed. Neil caught a look at Ponyboy who was smiling. It was a great smile!  
"Do you think we could borrow any of these clothes?" Ponyboy asked.  
"What?" Neil said.  
"Borrow them. I mean, they look warm and they are better than the crap we're wearing."  
"Sure, go ahead and pick," Neil said.  
"Thanks man," Ponyboy smiled. THAT SMILE! Ponyboy picked out a red Hurley jumper and black tracksuits while Johnny picked up a buttoned T-Shirt, a three-quarter shirt and purple jeans. They all went off to change into their clothes.  
The two came back after getting changed. They both looked really good in their clothing…better than what Neil thought he looked when he was in it…  
"Attractive, you guys," Neil jabs, getting that joke into it so as to not be accused of the "gay" thing.  
Ponyboy and Johnny smiled. "I'm bored," Ponyboy said. "Play cards," Johnny said. "I don't want to play cards."  
"Well, there's a movie on soon," Neil said.  
"We don't have a tv!" Johnny said.  
"Yeah we do, there's one over there!" Neil pointed to a dusty television set sitting on a holder.  
"What movie?" Ponyboy asked, lighting a cigarette.  
"_Psycho_," Neil says.  
"The one where that chick gets it in the shower? That movie sucks!" Johnny retorted.  
"Have you seen it?" Ponyboy snaps, smoke coming out of his mouth. He looked so dreamy when he did that…wait, what, Neil? Johnny doesn't reply.  
"It's like the biggest horror movie out," Neil said.  
"How do you watch that shit?" Johnny asks.  
"It's not shit, it is voted one of the best horror movies that will ever be. Have you seen how scary and clever the music is in that shower scene?"  
"I get the impression you really love horror movies, Neil," Ponyboy said.  
"If you didn't know I like horror movies, you don't know _anything _about me."  
"You're right. We don't know anything about you, Neil. How about we find out…you go first."  
"Fuck shit, you go first!" Neil snapped back.  
"I asked you first."  
"I gave you my clothes…"  
And with that argument settled, Ponyboy began. "Well I don't really know what to say about myself."  
"Tell me about your family," Neil said.  
"Well my mum and Dad died when a train hit their car eight months ago," Ponyboy said, matter-of-factly. Neil didn't know how to react for a moment.  
"I'm really sorry to hear that, Ponyboy."  
"Nah, it's not all bad. I live with my older brothers Darry and Sodapop and a bunch of their friends. We're called the Greasers."  
"Okay, tell me facts about you. Your birthday, hobbies."  
"My birthday's December 7, 1950."  
"Hey, my birthday's December 29!" Neil pointed out. The two looked at each other in amazement.  
"Well, my hobbies, um…I don't really know. Well one time a doctor said my hobbies were "imagining" so he told me to "stop imagining" and got me some new hobbies like reading and drawing and every now and then football." Neil smiled. He admired Ponyboy's coolness, his attitude, his friendliness, his vulnerability. Not to mention he was extremely good looking and well-built…wait, what?  
"Well, should I say anything?" Johnny said.  
"Why not? I'm sure Neil would love to hear about the guy who got him here," Ponyboy said. The two other boys recognized the truth in that remark.  
"Well, my family's pretty fucked up. My Mum always comes home drunk and beats my Dad up. I tell everyone but no believes me just because she's a woman. And the people who do believe her cheer her on."  
"Yeah, I hate all that double standard crap," Neil said.  
"So do I! There are so many double standards for men," Johnny said.  
"Wait, what's a double standard?" Ponyboy asked.  
"It's when one gender does something and it's completely normal but when the other gender does something, the whole world loses their minds," Neil said. "Like for an example-a woman can insult a man and call it funny but a man insulting a woman is called sexist."  
"Oh yeah," Johnny said, "And here's one-a group of girls chasing after a guy is acceptable but a group of guys chasing after a girl is called gang rape."  
Ponyboy laughed. "That was like one time some girl took her friend to the toilet at my school and then when I wanted to go to the toilet with my friend, everybody thought it was weird."  
"And women can wear mens clothes but guys can't wear girls clothes," Johnny said.  
"Well I love to talk about this but can you tell me something else about you?" Neil said.  
"Right, well my birthday is November 22 and I like street fights, I guess… unless it gets too crazy."  
A silence falls before all three boys, all smiling sadly. "Well, I guess I have to tell you something about me, now," Neil interjects, shrugging all three of them out of the silence.  
"Oh yeah," Johnny said.  
"Finally," Ponyboy said, making Neil laugh.  
"Well I used to live in Tulsa but when I was nine to Los Angeles," Neil explains.  
"The movie capital of the world? You an actor?" Johnny asked.  
"Well I do acting classes but I much prefer screenwriting," Neil said.  
"Well what made you move from the best city to the shittiest one?" Johnny asked.  
"Well my Dad owns _Tulsa Services_."  
"Oh yeah, they make a lot of money," Ponyboy said, stubbing out his cigarette.  
"So why did you come?" Johnny asked.  
"Well, I come every school holidays for a few weeks," Neil said, "I come with my whole family but my Dad just wanted me to come because I was too _distracted _in Los Angeles."  
"What?" Ponyboy asked, his breath smelling like smoke.  
"The lights and movies get me off my studies apparently. According to my parents, I'm lacking common sense and can be good at school but I just don't give a fuck and I think entertainment is better than studies."  
"Dude that's exactly the same as me! That's what all my teachers say to me! And my oldest brother. Even my parents said that before they died," Ponyboy said, getting up. The two shared a smile at their realizations. They kept looking at each other. The surroundings weren't there. It was just them two… admiring each other. Johnny wasn't stuck in their moment and coughed. The two shook out of their trance.  
"Anything else you want to say?" Johnny asked.  
"Well, my hobbies are bike-riding. I rode my bike all the way from Tulsa to here."  
"WOW! Are you serious?" Ponyboy asked.  
Neil nodded. "I didn't want to walk. Walking burns calories and I really don't need it."  
"Why? You're not fat!" Ponyboy said. Johnny shakes his head in agreenemnt.  
"Nah, I said I DON'T need to burn caloreis," Neil said loudly.  
"But you ain't skinny," Johnny said.  
Neil laughed. "You should have seen me four months ago. I was like the weakest kid ever. I mean, being shit at sport doesn't really help either."  
"Man, we're like good _as_ at sports!" Johnny smiles, high-fiving Ponyboy.  
"That's great for you," Neil says, putting his clothes down a little sadly. Ponyboy recognised his discomfort.  
"Well how about this?" Ponyboy said, making Neil turn his head for the deal coming, "Over the next three days, Johnny and I will help you with sports if you promise not to tell anyone we killed some guy."  
Neil smiled. "Are you serious?" Ponyboy sported that smile again as he nodded his head. Johnny seemed pretty keen on the idea by the looks of it. "Well, yeah, sure. Dude, thanks so much!" Ponyboy laughed. "Yeah, no problem."

Hours passed and night finally fell on the day. The tv was out and connected and on the screen was _Psycho. _The three boys lay on the sleeping bag, now in three different pairs of pyjamas supplied by Neil.  
"Guys, this is where she gets it!" Neil said, excitedly.  
"Get what? The D?" Johnny asked, not sarcastic at all.  
"NO, YOU IDIOT! She's gonna get killed!" Ponyboy said as if it was the most obvious thing ever.  
"Well, I'm sorry but she is naked and in a shower so I just thought-"  
"SHHHHHH!" Ponyboy and Neil say at the same time. Johnny rolled his eyes and lied down, not caring about the movie anymore.  
"Here it comes…" Neil said, a huge smile on his face. This was his most anticipated moment in any movies he has seen. Ponyboy was pretty into it to. The shadow of a woman was now fully up to the shower curtain on the screen and she pulled back the curtain, triggering the famous screeching violins from Hitchcock's classic.  
Janet Leigh turned around and screamed bloody murder as she saw the knife, three shots coming closer to her mouth. The woman then began raising her knife on to her. Ponyboy and Neil smiled and watched on excitedly as Johnny turned his head away, repulsed. Ponyboy noticed.  
"C'mon, chicken shit, it's just a movie!"  
"IT'S DISGUSTING! Oh, I'm going to bed."  
"Dude, you are in bed," Neil pointed out. Johnny noticed the enormous sleeping bag he was on and the blanket on top of him.  
"Oh right, well I'm going to sleep," Johnny said. He turned his head and closed his eyes. Ponyboy and I continued watching Janet Leigh's eye zoom out of the camera. She was now fully dead.

Ponyboy and Neil were finally asleep. Ponyboy was restless and put up.  
"Johnny…are you all right?"  
There was no reply from Johnny, who was fast asleep.  
"He will be," Neil said. His eyes were closed but he wore a grin. Ponyboy smiled and watched Neil fall into a slumber. Ponyboy loved this kid. He was funny, down-to-earth, truthful and real. He was handsome, hot, sexy, loveable, boyfriend-material, Ponyboy just wanted to…wait, what, Ponyboy?  
Ponyboy was startled by his words of actions and blamed it on too much smoking and not enough sleep, causing him to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Ponyboy woke up the next day. Johnny was lying on the seat above him. He went looking for Neil, hoping to see his face in the morning. He didn't know why but he wanted to see it because it would make him feel envy, jealousy, inferior and for some reason it made him feel closer to Neil. Ponyboy went looking for that sight when he saw…NEIL WASN'T THERE!  
"NEIL?" Ponyboy cried out. The church echoed "eil…eil…" He was loud enough to awaken Johnny, who rubbed his eyes and yawned before sheepishly asking "What?"  
"I can't find Neil." This got Johnny alarmed a bit and made him get up. He then came past a written message in the dirt. "_Went for supplies, N.C."  
_Ponyboy and Johnny went outside to get water from the pump after being relieved from the message. They felt sore and groggy and went in search for water to keep themselves refreshed. The water from the tap was like liquid ice and it tasted strange, but it was water and that was good enough. The two boys splashed the liquid on their faces and wiped the water off on Johnny's jacket.  
The two then heard someone coming up to the house through the dead leaves toward the back of the church, and ducked inside the door. Then the shadow of a boy fell through the door. Johnny and Ponyboy looked through the door and saw Neil standing at the top with a tray of supplies. The two sped up the flight of stairs so fast they nearly fell off.  
"Hey, Neil," Johnny gasped. "Fancy meeting you up here," Ponyboy added, "What'd you get?"  
"Come on inside and I'll show you. You guys are meant to stay inside, remember?"  
We went in. Johnny dusted off a table with his hands before Neil put the tray down.  
"Now, I got $10 when I got here and found the $60 in your pocket, Ponyboy **(A/N $60 in 1965 is as much as $720), **so I got some decent stuff, only in small though, Here's some spinach leaves, almonds, milk, matches, a container, milo, frozen grapes, plastic cups and plates, yoghurt, bread, peanut butter, biscuits, eggs, bacon and a roast chicken."  
"By god, buy the whole supermarket, won't ya? We're only here for three days!" Johnny said.  
"Well we had a lot of money and this is what we normally eat. And besides, there is only three of us-three teenage boys. Most of this is protein and we'll lose weight if we don't eat stuff like this," Neil defended himself, "Even if we don't finish it all, you guys can take the rest home. I'm going to make breakfasts. Who wants bacon and eggs?"  
"Me please," Johnny and Ponyboy said at the same time. Neil smiled and got the carton of eggs, bacon, plates, a container, matches and bread before walking out. Ponyboy decided to unpack the rest of the cart.  
"A paperback copy of _Gone With The Wind? _How did he know I always wanted one?"  
"Last night you said it was your favourite movie after us two saw it, remember? It'd probably help kill time if you read it out loud," Johnny replied to him.  
Ponyboy reluctantly put the book down. He wanted to read it right then and there but thought the better of it so he continued to unpack. Ponyboy then got his hands on a bottle of…  
"Peroxide?" Suddenly, Ponyboy realized something.  
"Johnny, you're not going to…"  
"Neil and I were talking yesterday about how we'd have to cut our hair and bleach yours. They have pictures of us in the paper. We can't look the same!"  
"Oh, no!" Ponyboy's hands threw into the air. His hair was his pride. It was long, silky, tuff-it labelled him as a Greaser They may not have cool clothing like Neil or mustang like the Socs but at least they had good hair.  
"Even if we do get caught, the judge will make us have a haircut. It's his way of breaking us. I'll cut mine too and was the grease out but I can't dye it. I'm too dark skinned to look naturally blonde."  
Ponyboy grabbed some almonds and sat down on a seat as Johnny got out his switchblade and sawed a collection of his friends hair. Ponyboy gasped in pain and backed away.  
"Sorry, man," Johnny said, continuing to go on despite Ponyboy's continuing gasps of pain. This time he groaned louder as Johnny continued cutting harder.  
"Don't pull so hard!" Ponyboy cursed. "Sorry, man," Johnny repeated.  
"Can I see it now?" Ponyboy asked.  
"I gotta bleach it first."  
"Well quit cutting and start bleaching before I look like I have cancer," Ponyboy demanded.  
About an hour later, Ponyboy and Neil were sitting outside by the fire eating their breakfast-soft poached eggs on top of crispy bacon that sat on a piece of toast. Ponyboy had to dry the bleach in the sun for 15 minutes anyway. Just then, Johnny joined the two, holding a cracked mirror in his hands.  
"What do you think?" Johnny said as he held the mirror before his friend.  
Ponyboy observed his hair. He didn't seem to be too pleased about it. It looked goofy and short to him and had no grease. The colour was too light. Maybe with some grease it might be good.  
"So much for making me look tuff," Ponyboy said as he flicked his cigarette away. Johnny took his breakfast and sat down.  
"All right, go ahead," he said as he handed Ponyboy the pocket knife. Neil handed Johnny his breakfast as Ponyboy got to work. It was technically a repeat of what Ponyboy had gone through which made Ponyboy smile.

Neil was cleaning up all the stuff from breakfast when he came to verandah. He brushed himself off when he heard Johnny talk.  
"Hey, I'm sorry I cut off your hair, Ponyboy."  
"It ain't that," Ponyboy's voice struggled. The words barely came out. Was he crying? Neil put his ear against the window.  
"It's just…I don't know, I'm fucked up," Ponyboy said. There was a pause. I could picture Johnny putting his arm over his friend.  
"Yeah, I know. Things happen pretty fast," Johnny said.  
"Remember how we was star-gazing last night?" Ponyboy said. I could hear his sobs multiplying. "Last night, we were walking Cherry and Marcie home from the movies." Who's Cherry? "It was last night we were in the parking lot looking up at the stars."  
"STOP IT, MAN! JUST SHUT UP ABOUT LAST NIGHT!" I heard Johnny yell. He was clearly traumatized by it, far more than Ponyboy and I were.  
"JOHNNY!" Ponyboy cried. Johnny replied, where it became apparent he, too, was crying.  
"He couldn't have been more than 17 or 18 years old. I killed him. How would you like to live with that, huh? I didn't mean too. He was drowning you, I didn't know what to do!" On the last sentence, his tears seemed to quieten down his town.  
"There sure is a lot of blood in people," Johnny mumbled.  
"What are we going to do?" Ponyboy sobbed. Johnny's anger returned.  
"Oh man. It's all my fault for bringing a 13 year old boy with me. You ought to go on home. I mean, YOU CAN'T GET INTO ANY TROUBLE! YOU DIDN'T KILL HIM!"  
Ponyboy tried being angry but his tears stopped that. "NO! I'M 14! I'VE BEEN 14 FOR A MONTH AND I'M IN JUST AS MUCH PAIN AS YOU ARE! I'll stop crying in a minute. I can't help it."  
"I didn't mean it like that, Ponyboy," Johnny said, softening his anger, "Don't cry!" Nel peered through the window to see the two hugging each other. Neil never had a friendship like that before…  
Ponyboy continued sobbing. "It'll be alright, we'll be fine," Johnny comforted.

Neil wore his school sport shoes and a short shirt. He had a really tan, lanky body. He hated it. Even though he was skinny, his butt really stood out in his shorts. Ponyboy and Johnny came running out of the church wearing tops from Neil's collection. Just then, Ponyboy stopped dead in his tracks-his eyes were opened and his mouth formed an "o."  
"What?" Johnny asked.  
Ponyboy remained silent. Johnny then figured Ponyboy was checking Neil out when he was stretching. Johnny sighed and hit Ponyboy on the arm.  
"Earth to Ponyboy, we're meant to be giving him sport lessons," Johnny said.  
"Yeah, sure," he said.  
Ponyboy and Johnny ran down to Neil. Neil greeted them with one of his smiles.  
"So, what are we doing today, Mr-Sport Experts?" Neil greeted. Ponyboy and Johnny laughed.  
"Well, tomorrow we'll start on Handball and Football but today we got to start with the one most important part of sport-strength and agility," Ponyboy said like a lecturer.  
"Okay, so how do we start?" Neil asked.  
"You, um…stretch, first!" Ponyboy said.  
"That's what I was just doing," Neil said.  
"You were stretching your arms. You need to stretch your back and stuff and do it with proper stretches," Ponyboy said. Johnny looked at his friend strangely.  
"First, get on your back and pull your right leg to the left. Come on," Ponyboy said. Neil got down on his back and pulled his right leg over. "Now, stay like that for thirty seconds." Neil did as he was told as Johnny whispered to Ponyboy.  
"Pony, I know you don't care about him stretching, you just wanna check out his ass," Johnny said.  
"Johnny, shut up. This is what I had to do in my football club," Ponyboy said.  
"Wasn't your football coach a paedophile?" Johnny asked. Ponyboy's eye opened as Johnny smiled. He decided to ignore Johnny.  
"Okay, now pull your left leg to the right," Ponyboy said. Neil did as he was told.  
"So you're technically a paedophile," Johnny sneered in a whisper. Ponyboy hit his friends chest.  
"Shut up!" Johnny started laughing but Ponyboy angrily ignored him. Neil then jumped back onto his feet.  
"Any more stretches?" Neil asked.  
"Ummm…yeah," Ponyboy said, "You have to do your legs. Pull your feet up to your butt." Neil did as he was told.  
"There's paedophilia again," Johnny said. Ponyboy turned around, fully angry. "Johnny, stop it!" Johnny just laughed. "Johnny!" Johnny then realised Ponyboy's anger and fell silent. Ponyboy turned around to see Neil done.  
"And with your right leg now," Ponboy said. Neil did it. When he was done, Ponyboy said, "And try doing the splits."  
"What?" Johnny and Neil said at the same time.  
"I had to do that as well. It's a good stretch. You don't have to do it fully." Johnny was about to pull a paedophile joke but he remembered and decided to shut up. Neil did the splits. For a guy, he actually went pretty well. He didn't go all the way but he was male so…you know.  
After that, the three boys found themselves at a little trunk that was sticking out of the ground. There was a huge band around it. It was elastic and really wide.  
"Here's some band I found in the church," Johnny said, "Before my mum became an alcoholic, she bought me a band like this and what I'd do was put it around my foot-" Johnny did exactly that "and then, I'd start putting my knee in the air."  
With the band around his ankle, Johnny then bent his knee and lifted into the air. "Just keep on doing that." "For how long?" "I don't know. Until the sunset!" "That's five hours, Johnny" Ponyboy said. "Yeah, well it takes a while for your legs to get good. It took me five days not five hours," Johnny said. "Fine, I will do this for five hours straight!" Neil said in sarcasm.  
Johnny and Ponyboy laughed. They walked back to the house as Neil started doing what Johnny told him. Neil and Ponyboy then sat on the veranda.

For the rest of the day, Neil continued doing that while Johnny and Ponyboy sat on the veranda, talked and read _Gone With The Wind. _The only time they took a break was when they had to make lunch and Neil insisted on making it as a salad with almonds, cheese, kitchen and carrot.  
The sun went down and before the boys knew it, they were fast asleep. Ponyboy and Johnny were both wearing clothes from Neil's bag. Neil was wearing a white top and his read tracksuits. An owl was perched on a piece of wood in the roof.  
And already restless Ponyboy was awoken when he heard a tapping and a scratching. He looked up. From outside, a racoon tapped on the wood. He tapped Johnny.  
"Johnny, there's a monster outside."  
There was a pause. "It'll be okay, Ponyboy," Johnny whispered. Ponyboy then turned and he saw Neil. Neil screwed his face and contorted his body. He then moaned-a moan that told him he was afraid. He was having a nightmare!  
Ponyboy wanted to comfort him. This somehow distressed him. So Ponyboy put his arm right underneath Neil's stomach. It didn't help that much as Neil started squirming again. Almost instinctively, Ponyboy wrapped his other arm around Neil's waist and pulled him in. And with that, the two fell asleep without any nightmares.

CUTE!


End file.
